Cold puts farm, zoo animals at risk

Wednesday

Jan 22, 2014 at 10:04 PMJan 22, 2014 at 10:26 PM

By Kim Ring TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

Tuesday night's snowstorm may have fizzled, leaving less work for plow drivers, but the cold that's predicted to hang on for a few more days means more work for those who care for animals of all kinds.

At Cooper's Farm in Leicester, things that are typically double-checked are now tripled-checked, and that includes water buckets and feed levels.

"You have to keep a good eye on things," farmer Marjorie A. Cooper explained. "We don't change a lot but we will shut off the fans in the barn because we don't want any heat to be lost."

The dairy cows number just under 100 and 40 to 50 are milked daily, producing one of the products sold at the farm. For those working in the barns and looking for warmth, between two bovines is the place to be.

"The cows create a lot of heat," Ms. Cooper said. "Just stand between two of them and you'll be pretty warm."

Some of the "teenage" cows graze outside and have shelters where they can take refuge, she said.

And the amount of corn silage fed to the cows is increased during colder weather, too. Eating more seems to be a theme with animals during the cold.

At Southwick's Zoo in Mendon, animals get fed more during winter, and species that don't adjust to the New England temperatures are kept inside the 18 heated buildings. The zoo is closed, but behind the scenes there's a lot going on, Betsy Brewer, one of the facility's owners, said.

A baby giraffe was recently born and is being bottle fed and kept warm. Monkeys and other more fragile animals are lounging inside while lions and tigers have grown thicker coats and sometimes frolic in the snow.

"After the last storm we built snowmen in their enclosures," Ms. Brewer said. "When they went out they were attacking the snowmen and playing."

It might come as a surprise to some that camels do quite well in the frigid temperatures, too.

"They have very thin nostrils and they don't seem to mind the cold," Ms. Brewer said.

All of the animals have access to barns and warmer areas when they're ready to come inside, but some spend much of the day out in the snow, unaffected by the cold.

While most of the big cats, except the puma who would rather be inside, are enjoying the snow, feral cat caregivers face challenges trying to keep the felines they care for safe in cold weather.

Websites including Alley Cat Allies have instructions for how to build feral cat shelters using large plastic totes, straw and styrofoam insulation.

Experts also advise increasing the amount of food fed and to be sure feral cats get plenty of protein during the winter. They also need a supply of fresh, clean water. Electric water bowls can keep it from freezing in areas where there is access to electricity.

Sometimes even lambs need an extra layer, even though they're covered with wool.

At Golden Egg Farm in Hardwick, Kate Morreale breeds champion silkie chickens and Katahdin sheep. Two lambs arrived at 3 a.m. Wednesday with Ms. Morreale, clad in layers of clothing and wool mittens, stood by. Because the lambs were born to a younger animal, she didn't put a fleece coat on they for fear their mother might reject them but she's had to do that in the past.

Instead, she spread dry straw thick on the barn floor and turned on a heat lamp for the little twins, both of whom are jet black and "beautiful." Another was expected to arrive Wednesday night, she said.

"It's pretty cold out there at 3 a.m.," she said.

And while she's working to keep the lambs warm, she worries less about the chickens, unless they're featherless. She chuckled about a photograph online showing chickens clad in knit sweaters and said it's probably not necessary unless, as once happened at her farm, a rooster has taken a shine to one particular chicken and plucked her bald in places during their amorous encounters.

"Then you can put a little apron on them to allow the feathers to grow back," she said, adding that covering their bald patches in winter does help keep them warmer.